Accessibility and Public Services - Part 1: The Case for Access

Abstract Libraries serve an important role in accessing information, delivering services, and fostering a sense of community. Libraries must ask whether they are serving all of their community members equitably. People with disabilities need to be able to access the libraries fully. This article first provides an overview of accessibility-related legislative history in the US, Canada and Ontario, and Australia to contextualize its impact on services to people with disabilities. The medical and social models of disability are explored. Lastly, an overview of the history of libraries and accessibility cements the moral, ethical, and legal reasons to serve people with disabilities.